The IEEE 802.21 standards group is developing a framework to enable the exchange of support messages such as 802.21 compliant information, events, and commands between network and mobile nodes to achieve seamless handover. For example, a network node, referred to as an 802.21 server, can send an information element to a mobile node that contains a list of network operators from which a mobile node can choose its target network for handover. However, the IEEE 802.21 standard does not specify the means of transporting such information over Internet Protocol (IP).
Some 802.21 compliant messages carry time sensitive data. Accordingly, these messages should be delivered as quickly as possible so as to achieve the fastest attainable handover. The inventors have recognized that User Datagram Protocol over Internet Protocol (UDP/IP) may be a suitable transport mechanism because it is has low latency in delivering a message. However, there are several signaling and inter-networking problems that require resolution in order to use UDP/IP to deliver 802.21 compliant messages.